To Live Again
by Krystiana
Summary: Coldsteel is back, but where's Iago?
1.

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Kristina Brannan  
  
"Previously on Gargoyles..."  
  
Possession  
Iago(through Brooklyn):Actually, I'm a bit disappointed in Brooklyn's  
fighting skills. Xanatos's robot might've been a better deal after all. Look, it even heals itself.  
[Iago escaping Brooklyn, into Coldsteel]  
  
Coldsteel: I'll be back!  
Brooklyn: And this scrawny gargoyle will be waiting!  
  
Brooklyn: I know every creepy thing that jerk made me do.  
  
Coldstone: For one night, we truly lived again.  
  
[Alex escaping Lexington]  
  
Ransom  
Brooklyn: Check out daddy.  
[Lexington holding Alex]  
[Alex kissing Lexington's statue]  
  
The Gathering{part II}  
Oberon: We hearby strip you of all your powers, save when you are training or protecting the boy.  
  
*****************************************************************  
About one month after Music Says It All  
*****************************************************************  
To Live Again  
Part I  
  
Brooklyn stretched and yawned with the rest of his clan. He looked down at the city with   
sorrowful eyes.  
"Hey, Brooklyn!"  
Brooklyn snapped his head toward Broadway. "What," he said harshly, more like a sentence than   
a question.   
"Aren't you going to come to the movie with us?" Broadway reminded him.  
"No, I...have plans," Brooklyn said, turning his gaze back toward the city. Broadway shrugged.   
He, Angela, and Lexington took off. Brooklyn glared after them.  
"Brooklyn," came Goliath's voice from behind him.  
"Hmm?" Brooklyn said, hiding his hard glare from Goliath.  
"Is something bothering you?"   
"Uh...not really," Brooklyn said. "I don't really want to talk about it."  
"Are you sure?" Goliath asked, concerned.   
Brooklyn nodded, not wanting to speak, in fear that he might blurt out everything that was going   
through his head. ~C'mon, leave already!~ he thought.   
"Well, if you need to talk, you can talk to anyone in the clan, you know that," Goliath said   
turning around. Brooklyn's glare hardened.   
Broadway, Angela, and Lexington had long been out of sight, but Brooklyn still wore a hard   
look, facing the place that he had last seen them. He turned his head. Goliath had gone back inside the   
castle.  
With a soft growl, he leapt off the castle and caught a draft.   
  
* * *  
  
A pair of eyes watched him from the shadows of another building.   
~That young gargoyle can feel the breeze,~ Coldsteel thought bitterly. ~I chose power over   
reality.~   
He began following Brooklyn, but kept a safe distance so he would not be spotted. ~Perhaps I   
made a mistake that night.~ He watched the red gargoyle that had housed him swoop around the currents.   
He made a decision.  
~Perhaps I made a mistake.~  
  
* * *  
  
Brooklyn didn't really know where he was gliding, he was just following the wind, going where it   
took him.   
As he glided on further, he realised he was going somewhere he didn't want to go. He wanted to   
turn, but something told him to keep going. He was heading very far away from the home he knew.  
At last, he landed at the Cloisters.   
As he had before, he was amazed by its beauty. Memories of the `old days', back in Scotland,   
came rushing back to him. A homesickness came over him.   
But then more recent memories came to him.   
*I knew you'd come.*  
*I brought the book.*  
*Excellent. Now all we need is Goliath, but how to get him here...*  
*I'll handle that, anything to make him see the truth.*  
Brooklyn gasped as he saw himself hand the Grimorum to Demona, agreeing to bring Goliath   
here to be trapped.   
*Sine dubio instantato...*  
The spell echoed through his mind over and over. She had tried to cast the spell on him, too. If   
she had succeeded doing that, he would probaly still be under the spell today.  
He sighed, and then thought of Coldsteel. The way he had used his body to do all those things to   
his clan.  
~Seems I get used a lot. Demona uses my soul, Coldsteel uses my body...~  
He thought a moment more. He thought of the Early Hatchers and smiled.   
~We were considered bad and had to be kept a secret, but we really weren't bad...~ he thought,   
still smiling. ~Demona was an Early Hatcher, and even she has still remained loyal to them after a   
millenium of hardship.  
~But that was before she betrayed the clan to the Vikings. Before our clan was destroyed. Before   
the end of the Early Hatchers.~  
He looked up at the moon. ~Before...~  
  
* * *  
  
Coldsteel watched Brooklyn with intrest. He watched as Brooklyn's expression went from amazed   
to angry to happiness to sadness all in one minute.  
~I wonder what's running through his head...~  
  
* * *  
  
Lexington was rather bored with the movie. It was an old-fashioned romance. He would have   
enjoyed it if he had somebody to be with, but Broadway and Angela were practically sitting on top of each   
other.   
He sighed. ~I wish Brooklyn would've come. We could have gone to see that sci-fi in the other   
theater,~ he thought.  
He frowned at the thought of Brooklyn. He still was haunted by a dream he had a few weeks ago.   
The image of Brooklyn and Demona was still in his mind, and it refused to fade. He also thought of the   
Early Hatchers. He wondered if that was really part of Brooklyn's memory...  
He slapped the thought away. ~It was just a dream- it didn't really happen.~  
But it made sense, the more he thought of it. Back in Scotland, Brooklyn and several others,   
including Demona, all disappeared at once sometimes. They would all come back at about the same time.   
He glanced at Broadway and Angela, and he thought he saw Brooklyn and Demona. He shivered.   
He tried to pay attention to the movie. The humans below the closed off balcony, where the gargoyles were   
sitting, all seemed content.   
He decided he couldn't stand it anymore. He went to the window and glided out, without   
bothering to tell Broadway or Angela.   
He started to glide back to the castle. Maybe Brooklyn would be in less of a bad mood by now.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey, Alex!" Lex decided to stop by Alex's room. Alex had lately decided to stay up all night so   
he could stay up with the gargoyles.   
"Lex!" Alex cried, and jumped into Alex's arms.   
Puck suddenly zipped into the room. "Whoops, company!" Puck said. There was a flash, and   
Owen stood in his place.  
"Oh, no need to change because of me," Lexington said.  
"I assure you, there is," Owen said. "I was just training young Alexander tonight, since he refuses   
to sleep."  
Lexington put Alex in his bed. "It's okay, I just stopped by to say hi." He turned back to Owen.   
"Have you seen Brooklyn around?"  
"I saw him leaving a few hours ago. I do not know where he was planning to go," Owen said.   
Lex sighed.  
"Okay, thanks anyway," he said.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey, Brooklyn!" Brooklyn turned quickly to spot Broadway and Angela. Angela noticed that he   
was wearing a funny little smile on his face.   
"Hey," he said, with more brightness then he had lately. "How was the movie?"  
Despite herself, Angela smiled. "It was great. You should have come."  
Brooklyn grunted in response. "Hey, where's Lex?"  
"We don't know," Broadway said. "He left in the middle of the movie."   
Brooklyn smiled. "Lex isn't a real romance person."  
"That's true," Broadway said, then smiled secretly at Angela.  
Brooklyn raised an eyeridge. Angela could tell he caught that. Brooklyn turned back to the city   
outside.   
"He better get back soon. It's almost dawn," Brooklyn said, not at all sounding real worried.  
Angela pulled Broadway aside. "Isn't Brooklyn acting a little...weird ?" she whispered. Broadway   
gave her a strange look.  
"He's just actually in a good mood. We're not used it," he said.   
"But-"  
She didn't get to finish her sentence. The sun rose at that moment.  
  
* * *  
  
"I've got to warn them..."  
"Got to tell them..."  
"Have to warn them...Goliath..."  
  
* * *  
  
Angela woke with the usual roar and stretch. Broadway, next to her, did the same.   
She turned to Brooklyn and saw him still stretching. He still seemed happy today. He still had the   
strange smile on his face. She felt she should know something about it, but she couldn't place it.  
She felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to face Broadway.   
"Do you notice something funny about Brooklyn?" she asked. Broadway squinted.   
"Like I said, he's in a good mood, and we're not-"  
"But there's something else! There is something different about him," she said.   
"Oh, do you really think so?" Angela cringed, and turned to face Brooklyn, who was glaring at   
her.   
"Uh, no, it's just...just..." Angela stuttered.   
"Don't talk about me behind my back," Brooklyn said, then pushed past her and went into the   
castle.   
"Serves you right," Broadway said. Angela turned to him in shock. "He's finally in a good mood,   
and you-"  
"Oh, be quiet," she said, and turned and followed Brooklyn into the castle.  
  
* * *  
  
The next night, Lexington had still not returned to the castle. The clan was getting worried.   
Angela still had a strange feeling about Brooklyn, but she pushed it aside. ~Lexington is more   
imporatant right now,~ she told herself.  
Goliath turned to the rest of the clan. "We will split up and search for him."  
"I'll go north," Brooklyn said. There's an old building that he likes to go to sometimes. Maybe   
he's there." Goliath nodded, and Brooklyn glided off.   
"The rest of you, go on your usual patrol routes. Look for anything that might suggest his   
disappearance," Goliath said.   
The clan agreed and they were off.  
  
* * *  
  
"You can't keep me here forever!" Lexington yelled when he saw Brooklyn step out of the   
shadows.   
"Why not? Is there a rule? You should be happy you are still alive," Brooklyn said, crossing his   
arms. Lexington growled.   
"Ooh, I'm scared!" Brooklyn said, mock shivering. "You know there isn't anything you can do."  
"Yes, there is," Lexington said. "You're a monster, you know that?"  
Brooklyn's expression turned cold. He pressed a button on the remote control he was carrying.   
The steel cables around Lexington tightened. Lexington cried out in agony.  
"Don't tempt me, Lexington," Brooklyn said. He set the remote down on the table out of   
Lexington's reach. "I'll be back tommorow night." He turned and walked out of the room, leaving   
Lexington glaring after him.   
  
* * *  
  
"E'sa!"  
Elisa turned to see Alex jump out of his mother's arms. Elisa barely had time to catch him.   
"Whoa, little guy," she said, picking him. "Slow down." She turned to Fox. Although Elisa still   
didn't trust Xanatos, Fox was now a good friend. Alex thought Elisa as one of the family, as he did   
Lexington.  
"Did they find Lex?" she asked Fox. Fox shook her head.  
"No, but they're all back now. They are going to continue the search again tommorow night," Fox   
said, sighing. Elisa turned and looked at the gargoyle's stautes.   
Alex broke away from Elisa. He pointed at Brooklyn.   
"Bad," he said. Elisa and Fox looked at each other, alarmed.  
"What do you mean, Alex?" Fox said, coming up to her son.  
"Not Bukin," Alex said angrily.  
"Alex, what-" Elisa said.  
"Codeseel!" Alex said impatiently.  
"Codeseel? Alex, do you mean Coldsteel?" Alex nodded.   
"Got Lex."   
"He has Lexington? Alex, where?" Elisa said, running forward. She put a hand on Alex's   
shoulder.  
"Coisters," Alex said.  
"Coisters?" Fox said. "Alex..."  
"Cloisters!" Elisa said, realising. She turned to Fox. Fox picked up her son and they left.  
  
* * *  
  
"I haven't been here in years," Elisa said, walking around the giant door.  
Fox followed her. "This is strange. This place isn't usually deserted."  
Alex suddenly started running. "Alex!" Fox yelled. Elisa and she ran after him.   
He led them into the center of the Cloisters. The light from the windows shone onto the floor,   
leaving an amazing array of colors. Elisa turned on her flashlight and flashed it into the shadows.   
There was a bright flash as Elisa shined it onto Coldsteel. She gasped, but then realised he wasn't   
moving.   
He also had Lexington in stone wrapped in his steel coils.   
Elisa stepped forward, as did Fox and Alex. Elisa and Fox smiled at each other.   
"Looks like we found ourselves our piece of lawn scuplture."  
  
* * *  
  
"We have to continue the search," Angela said. Broadway nodded, agreeing.   
"Yeah," Brooklyn said. Angela glanced at him, but paid attention to Goliath.  
"Tonight we will go in pairs," Goliath said. Brooklyn almost seemed to panic.   
"But we can cover more ground seperatly!" Brooklyn said. Goliath looked at him.  
"I know, but..." Goliath stopped. "All right. We will continue searching as we were. Brooklyn,   
head north again. Broadway, east, Angela, west. I will go south. Hudson, you and Bronx remain here in   
case he comes back. Meet back here in one hour.  
They took they're orders, and went their separate ways.   
Angela sighed as she glided on. ~One hour- that's not enough time!~ she thought.   
  
* * *  
  
Broadway landed on a rooftop for a rest. ~I don't see the point of going for only an hour,~ he   
thought. He yawned, despite his worries about Lex.  
He turned back to the sky and was about to glide off when somebody tapped him on his shoulder.   
He turned back and gasped.   
"You..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Did you find anything?"   
Angela shook her head. "Maybe Broadway or Brooklyn found something."  
"I did," Broadway said, landing behind them. Goliath and Angela turned. Coldstone and Coldfire   
landed beside him. Angela gasped.  
"If you're here, Coldsteel is here!" she said. Coldfire nodded.   
"We believe he may have come here," she said.   
"You bet he did," came a voice from above them. Lexington landed in between Broadway amd   
Goliath.   
"Lex! You're okay!" Broadway said, picking him up. Lexington motioned to put him down.  
"Maybe, but not for long," Lexington said. "Coldsteel had me captured, and sort of held me   
ransom."  
"What do you mean?" Goliath said.   
"He means that he threatened to kill him unless Alex transferred Coldsteel to Brooklyn's body,"   
Fox said, running up from inside the castle.   
Angela looked surprised. "But... Puck said it took voluntary participation."  
"I guess Brooklyn had to be willing, or else Coldsteel would kill Lex," Fox said.  
"That means Iago is still hiding within Brooklyn!" Coldstone said.  
"B-but... he said he was `disappointed in Brooklyn's fighting skills,' so he went into the robot,"   
said Broadway.   
"Stick with the reliable, I always say," came Brooklyn's voice from the ledge of the castle.   
Coldstone growled and turned a light on the ledge, revealing Brooklyn sitting there, one leg up,   
the other hanging over. "It seems the charade is over," he added.  
"Iago- get out of Brooklyn's body!" Coldfire said.   
"Why should I?" he said.   
Goliath began stepped forward, growling. Brooklyn looked at Goliath and narrowed his eyes.  
"I wouldn't do that, Goliath," he said. "Whatever you do to me, you do to your precious second-  
in-command as well." Goliath stopped, still growling.  
Brooklyn smiled evily. "Even if I do 'remove myself,' he's still going to turn out like me in the   
end, you know."  
"Brooklyn is no meathead in training, you meathead!" Broadway yelled. Brooklyn growled and   
pulled out a small ray-gun.  
"My name isn't meathead," he said. "It's Iago." He stopped a moment and thought. "Actually,   
now it would be Brooklyn, wouldn't it?"  
"You aren't worthy of Brooklyn's name, you beast!" Angela snarled, allowing her eyes to glow a   
terrifying red.  
"Ahh, so much like your mother," Brooklyn/Iago said. "Demona is actually a sweet woman, if   
you don't get on her bad side, which all of you have done." Angela gasped.  
"How do you know Demona is my mother?" she said.  
"I have... access to all of Brooklyn's memories," said Brooklyn/Iago. "I know things about   
Brooklyn that even you don't know."  
"What do ye mean?" Hudson yelled.   
"Ahh, Hudson. I believe this story starts when you were younger than Brooklyn is..."   
Brooklyn/Iago said. He tilted his head, carelessly waving the gun around. Hudson growled.  
"Do you recall so many of the clan being banished because of 'treachery'?" Brooklyn/Iago said   
tauntingly. Hudson squinted, as if trying to remember.  
"Aye, but how would the lad know that? Not even Goliath was hatched then," Hudson said.  
"Ahh, but you don't know the whole story," he said. "I do. Or should I say, Brooklyn does."  
He sat back again. "You see, that group of gargoyles was a coven. They seemed to be all   
connected somehow. They had certain...`abilities' that the rest of the clan didn't.  
"The coven was discovered. It was consided betrayal, and they were banished from the clan.   
"But they didn't know that the decendents could also feel the connection. A few discovered the   
coven's old ways and handed their 'talents' to their children." Brooklyn/Iago smiled. "Brooklyn is one of   
those children. He found out the old history from the 'new' coven.  
"Hmm, Demona was also another decendent. I really don't know why none of the 'talents' showed   
up in Angela," Brooklyn/Iago said, thinking. "Oh, well."  
"Why are you telling us this?" Goliath said. Brooklyn/Iago shrugged.  
"I just love gloating, that's all. Besides, I can't decide what to do with you," he said.   
"Well, ye can't sit dere forever," Hudson said. Lexington was still thinking about the tale   
Brooklyn/Iago had told. He turned back to him.  
"The coven...did they call themselves...Early Hatchers?" Lexington asked.  
"Why, yes, they did!" Brooklyn/Iago said, surprised. "How did you know that?"  
"I...don't...know," Lexington said. Brooklyn/Iago sighed.   
"Anyway, Hudson, you're right. I can't sit here forever," Brooklyn/Iago said. He stood up, still   
pointing the gun at them. "But what to do..."  
Goliath began inching forward, hoping Brooklyn/Iago wouldn't notice.   
He did.   
Brooklyn/Iago pointed his gun at Goliath and fired. It hit him in the right shoulder.   
Brooklyn/Iago leapt to the ground.   
"I told you not to move, Goliath," he said cruelly. "You should have listened, because now you   
are going to die."  
  
* * *  
  
Deep inside the heart of Brooklyn's body, lay Brooklyn's soul.   
He watched and listened as Iago controlled his every move, everything he said.   
Brooklyn's soul wanted to fight, but he couldn't. He was dormant.   
*At last I live again, Brooklyn,* Iago said mentally to Brooklyn.  
*Leave my body alone. Give it back!*  
*I am never going to leave, Brooklyn. I made that mistake before.*  
"Now you are going to die," Brooklyn's soul heard.  
*Stop this!* Brooklyn's soul yelled.  
*Why should I?* Iago said, laughing. *I finally get to live again, and you are telling me to stop?*  
*Live? You're not living. I'm living, and you are just harboring.*  
*Does something harboring kill an entire clan of gargoyles, pray tell?*  
Brooklyn's soul refused to answer. He lay there, watching the dying of a dream...  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
  
*******  
  
Wait for Part II of To Live Again 


	2. 

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Kristina Brannan  
  
To Live Again, Part I  
By: Slinky  
  
Brooklyn: You should be happy you are still alive.  
[Lexington growling at Brooklyn]  
  
"Previously on Gargoyles..."  
  
To Live Again, Part I  
Alex: Bad.  
[Alex pointing at Brooklyn's statue]  
Not Bukin.  
  
Lexington: Coldsteel had me captured and sort of held me ransom.  
[Lexington's statue wrapped in Coldsteel's coils]  
Fox: He threatened to kill him unless Alex transferred Coldsteel to  
Brooklyn's body.  
[Brooklyn/Iago grinning evily]  
  
Coldstone: Iago is still hiding within Brooklyn!  
  
Brooklyn/Iago: Whatever you do to me, you do to your precious second-in-  
command as well.  
  
Iago: Does something harboring kill an entire clan of gargoyles,   
[Brooklyn/Iago shooting Goliath]  
  
Brooklyn/Iago: Now you are going to die.  
  
*****************************************************************  
To Live Again  
Part II  
  
Brooklyn/Iago bent down next Goliath and waved the ray gun around in front  
of Goliath's face.  
  
"Hmm...where would it be most painful?" Brooklyn/Iago grinned. The clan  
began to inch toward him to attack, but he noticed.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Brooklyn/Iago said. "Not even the  
mighty Goliath can survive a direct blast in the face from this close up."  
They stopped moving, growling.   
  
Brooklyn/Iago looked down at the blaster he was holding. Goliath, not  
moving because Brooklyn would shoot him if he did something stupid,  
watched him through half-opened eyes.   
  
"This is really an amazing device. Stole it from a proto-type lab,"  
Brooklyn/Iago said, grinning again. "A place called Xanatos Industries."  
Fox gasped.   
  
"How did you get in there, though?" she said.  
  
Brooklyn/Iago, not taking his eyes off Goliath, said, "Simple. I asked  
Xanatos if I could `see' some new technology because I was bored." He  
smiled once more. "Isn't it ironic?"  
  
"DONCHA THINK!?" came an angry voice from above. Everyone looked up.  
There, holding onto the Coldsteel robot, which was hovering, was Elisa.   
  
She pulled out a remote and pressed a button. The robot suddenly started  
diving straight at Brooklyn/Iago. Elisa leapt off the robot and landed on  
the ground.   
  
Brooklyn/Iago stood up and started firing at the robot. He missed, and the  
robot rammed into him. He was knocked backwards into the wall, unconcious.  
Elisa flinched.  
  
"I'm sorry, Brooklyn," she said softly. Goliath stood up and ran to Elisa.   
  
"How did you know?" he said.   
  
"Alex led us to Lex and the Coldsteel robot during the day," she said,  
casting a glance at the unconcious Brooklyn/Iago. "`Brooklyn' made the  
mistake of leaving the remote there."  
  
"But now what shall we do?" Angela said. "The Evil One refuses to leave  
Brooklyn's body."   
  
Elisa looked at Fox, then at the clan. "Can't Alex or Puck just put him  
back where he belongs?"   
  
Lexington shook his head. "Puck said it takes voluntary participation.  
That's why Coldsteel held me captive, and why Owen made the robot so  
advanced. He needed the Evil One to want the Coldsteel robot."  
  
Goliath walked over to Brooklyn/Iago and picked him up. "I guess he wanted  
to be free of cyber-space," Fox said, looking at Brooklyn's face in  
sorrow.   
  
"So we will keep him captive, at least until it convinces him that being  
in cyber-space will be better then jail." Goliath looked down at  
Brooklyn's body sadly. "But where to keep him?"  
  
"How `bout the Labyrinth, where we kept Demona?" Broadway suggested.  
  
Goliath considered this. "Yes, that would be a good place." He sighed  
unhappily. "I do not like doing this to Brooklyn, but we have no choice."  
  
Elisa came up next to him and put a comforting hand on Goliath's arm.  
"It's not Brooklyn, it's just something that looks like Brooklyn. We all  
have to remember that." She looked at Brooklyn/Iago and then frowned. She  
reached out and wrenched the blaster from his hands. She then went to the  
balcony and threw it as hard as she could to the next level of the castle.  
Fox ran forward just in time to see it smash to pieces. Elisa crossed her  
arms angrily.   
  
Goliath began walking to the edge of the castle, preparing to take off.  
"We should get him to the Labyrinth as soon as possible. We don't want him  
waking up before we cage him."  
  
The clan quickly agreed, although none of them liked it. They glided off  
in the direction of the Labyrinth.  
  
***  
  
Demona stared in amazement. Goliath was holding an unconcious Brooklyn,  
looking rather angry. Coldstone was there, standing next to a gold robot  
of a gargoyle. ~Sister?~ she thought confusedly.   
  
She turned her attention back to Goliath. She had come to check on her  
daughter, as she did once every week. She did not let herself be seen. But  
when she came this time, she had seen Goliath holding Brooklyn and heard  
him talking sadly, but still angry.  
  
"We should get him to the Labyrinth as soon as possible. We don't want him  
waking up before we cage him." Demona gasped in shock.   
  
~Has Brooklyn betrayed the clan?~ she thought.   
  
***  
  
Talon's jaw dropped when Goliath brought Brooklyn in. He was speechless.  
Maggie spoke for him, however.  
  
"Goliath? Why have you brought Brooklyn here? Is he hurt?" she said,  
running up to them.  
  
"It is not Brooklyn," Goliath growled.   
  
Talon finally regained his composure. "What...what...do you mean?"   
  
Broadway answered. "Basically he's been taken over by an evil spirit that  
does't want to leave."  
  
"Huh? So... why bring him here?"   
  
"We were hoping we could keep him in one of your cages until the spirit  
decides to leave," Goliath said.   
  
"Umm...sure," Talon said. "We love having gargoyles possessed by evil  
ghosts-" He was cut short by a pain-filled moan that came from Brooklyn.   
  
"We had better hurry. We want to get him caged before he awakens," Goliath  
said. Maggie and Talon looked at each other worriedly.  
  
***  
  
Fang, laying on a bed, sat up as they brought Brooklyn in. He watched as  
Talon opened the cell next to him. He banged on the glass shield.   
  
"Hey, yo, Goliath!" he yelled. "What's the crime on the Brooklyn Bridge?"  
Goliath growled slightly, but ignored him and set Brooklyn down on the bed  
within the jail.  
  
To Fang's surprise, a gold robot spoke up. "We should keep him here until  
Iago comes to his senses."  
  
"Iago?"   
  
Talon looked at Fang. "Believe me, we don't know what's going on any more  
than you do."  
  
Goliath moved as to leave. "We will discuss this elsewhere."  
  
"Oh, sure, don't let me in on my cell-mate's crimes!" Fang yelled as they  
left.  
  
Next to him, Brooklyn began to wake up. Fang looked over at him. ~Maybe  
now I can get some answers.~  
  
Brooklyn opened his eyes. He took a moment to focus on his surroundings,  
then leapt up, growling.  
  
"Oh, this _is_ original," he muttered. Talon banged on the wall that  
seperated the two cells. Brooklyn turned quickly to face him.  
  
"Uhh, don't mind the cliche, but...what're ya in for?"   
  
Brooklyn raised an eye ridge, then smiled. "Oh, the usual. Capturing Lex,  
trying to kill Goliath, being who I am..."  
  
Fang raised a hand. "Hold on. YOU tried to kill Goliath? What happened to,  
`Oh, we're all one big happy clan?'"  
  
Brooklyn grinned so widely, Fang thought his beak would split.  
"We still are."  
  
Fang crossed his arms. "Yeah, right," he scoffed.  
  
***  
  
Demona listened to Lexington tell the others what was going on. She  
watched from the shadows, waiting.   
  
When Lexington had finished his tale, Demona was shocked. ~By the Early  
Hatcher's covenant...~ She thought hard, then remembered something. She  
smiled and left undetected.  
  
***  
  
"The third night has passed and Iago still refuses to leave," Coldstone  
said. Coldfire sighed.  
  
"Let me talk to him. Everyone but me has had a chance," she said.  
  
"But...very well. But take care- he is tricky," Coldstone said.   
  
Coldfire turned back to him. "Are you saying I am easy to trick?" She said  
angrily. Coldstone waved her on.  
  
She walked into the jailing part. She looked at Fang who was sleeping on  
his bed in the cage next to Brooklyn/Iago.   
  
Brooklyn/Iago was laying on his own bed, staring up at the ceiling, a  
contented smile on his face.  
  
"Iago," she said. Brooklyn/Iago looked at her and raised an eye ridge.  
  
"No condolence calls, please," he said. "Why are you here? Trying to  
convince me to leave Brooklyn's body, as everyone else has?"  
  
"Iago, his body does not belong to you," she said. "You have lived your  
life, let him live his!"  
  
"He is just wasting his life. I am giving it back to him."  
  
"Brooklyn is an innocent warrior..."  
  
"Oh, Brooklyn is far from innocent."  
  
Coldfire glared at him, giving him as much as emotion as her robotic face  
would allow. Brooklyn/Iago continued.  
  
"Did you know he betrayed the clan?"  
  
"Yes, while you were controlling him!"  
  
"But before this. He helped Demona," he said, sitting back.  
  
"You are lying. Brooklyn hates Demona so much..."  
  
"But that's why he hates her. He let himself be seen the truth. He stole  
the Grimorum Achinorum for her. He led Goliath to a quaint little place  
called the Cloisters..."  
  
"I don't care about Brooklyn's past. What he chooses should be his own  
path, not yours!" Coldfire growled. Brooklyn/Iago closed his eyes.   
  
"Don't you feel chained, Desdemona?" he said softly, almost passionately.  
  
"You are the one in a cage..."  
  
"Ahh, but at least I am alive. You are stuck inside a metal shell, cut off  
from the real world..."  
  
"I do wish to speak to you anymore," Coldfire said, turning to leave.  
  
"Oh, come on, Desdemona," Brooklyn/Iago snapped his eyes open. "I have no  
one to talk to. That...thing..." he guestured to Fang, "Refuses to talk to  
me. He says it's my fault he's in there." Brooklyn/Iago shook his head.  
"The poor fool still believes I'm Brooklyn."  
  
"Goodbye, Iago." Coldfire opened the door and stalked out, leaving  
Brooklyn/Iago glaring after her.  
  
***  
  
"Hey, Bridge!"  
  
Brooklyn turned to face Fang. "My name isn't Bridge."  
  
"Enh, what's the difference?" Fang said.   
  
"The difference is that a bridge is something that goes over a river.  
Brooklyn said angrily. "Either that, or bridge is a card game that  
_humans_ play."  
  
Fang raised an eyebrow. ~Since when did Brooklyn start hating humans?~ he  
thought. ~He sounds like Demona.~  
  
***  
  
*Iago.*  
  
*Yes, my poor young fool?*  
  
*Are you planning to spend the rest of your life in my body?*  
  
*Perhaps.*  
  
Brooklyn's soul, trapped in his own body, not being able to do anything  
about what his body was doing, was getting frustrated.   
  
*Iago...*  
  
*Stop pestering me.*  
  
*That's impossible. This is my body, remember?*  
  
For once, Iago had nothing to say.  
  
***  
  
Demona snuck into the jailing room without being detected. Brooklyn/Iago  
was laying on the bed.   
  
"Brooklyn," she whispered, not wanting Iago to know that she knew the  
truth. Brooklyn/Iago looked up.  
  
"Demona...what-" he asked, curious.   
  
"I am going to get you out of here, now that you have come to your  
senses," she said, pulling out a lock pick.  
  
Brooklyn stood up, grinning. "My, my, even after all that I've done to  
you?"  
  
Demona didn't look at him. "It's by the covenant."  
  
Brooklyn/Iago blinked and then smiled once more. Fang was watching with  
peaked interest.  
  
"Hey, how `bout me?"   
  
Demona ignored him. There was a click as she got the lock. The door swung  
open. Brooklyn/Iago stepped out. Demona and he peeked out the door to the  
room.  
  
"I'll tell if you don't let me out!" Fang whispered.   
  
Brooklyn/Iago looked back at him and mouthed, "Sorry." He didn't look  
sorry at all.  
  
"Come on!" Demona said, motioning with her arm. They ran out.  
  
***  
  
"Talon!"  
  
"Talon!"  
  
"YO! DERRICK!" Fang yelled, getting desperate. Talon finally came in and  
saw the broken-out-of cage.   
  
"Oh, no!" Talon yelled, then ran back out of the room. "He escaped!"  
  
***  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
Talon flinched at Goliath's yell. "He escaped. I don't know how, but..."  
  
"Perhaps Fang will know," Goliath said, turning towards the jailing room.  
He walked in and saw the empty cage next to Fang.  
  
"Fang."  
  
Fang looked at Goliath. "Yeah?"  
  
"How did Ia...Brooklyn escape?"  
  
"Oh, Demona came in and said something about him finally coming to his  
senses," Fang said. "She's the one who picked the lock."  
  
Goliath gasped. "No...it can't be." He ran out of the room to get the rest  
of the clan.   
  
***  
  
"Demona-where are we going?"  
  
Demona glanced back at Brooklyn/Iago. "You've been there before. The  
Cloisters."   
  
"Why there?"  
  
Demona didn't answer and continued gliding. Brooklyn/Iago followed behind  
her.  
  
***  
  
"She must not know," Elisa said. "Fang said something about Demona saying  
that Brooklyn came to his senses. She must think it's Brooklyn."  
  
"I agree. But now the question is where did they go?" Goliath said,  
looking up at the sky.   
  
"I suggest we split up," Coldfire said. Goliath nodded.   
  
"Everyone go on the same routes as before. Angela, go check the way...  
Brooklyn had been going." Goliath noticed Elisa's perplexed expresssion.  
"Elisa, would you like to help?" She smiled and nodded. "Well, then  
let's-"  
  
"Goliath, if you don't mind, I'd like to go with Angela," Elisa said.  
"Does anybody mind?" Goliath raised an eyeridge, but nodded for them to go  
on.  
  
Elisa pu her arms around Angela's neck and they took off. As they were  
going on, Angela looked back at Elisa.  
  
"Why did you come with me?" she said.   
  
Elisa smiled. "I have a feeling that you are going to find them."  
  
***  
  
Brooklyn/Iago looked around the Cloisters, unintrested. He turned around,  
sighing. "Demona, why did we come here?"  
  
No answer. Brooklyn/Iago turned back to where she was standing.   
  
She wasn't there. "Demona?" he asked the air. "Where are you?"  
  
"I'm still here, Iago." Demona's voice echoed through the Cloisters,  
making it impossible to pinpoint where she was.   
  
"You knew!" Brooklyn yelled, eyes flaring up. "You knew the whole time!"  
  
"I did."   
  
Brooklyn/Iago echoed Brooklyn's rarely heard battle cry and began breaking  
everything in sight. "WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BITCH?!"  
  
"Language, Iago, language." Brooklyn/Iago turned quickly to spot Angela.  
Elisa stepped out from behind her.   
  
"Leave Brooklyn's body alone," Angela snarled at him, eyes flaring up red.   
  
"Ladies, he volunteered for this..." Brooklyn/Iago said sweetly.   
  
"Yeah, because you were going to kill Lex if he wasn't!" Elisa yelled.  
  
"My dear, I am doing him a favor. I am a true gargoyle, and the longer I  
stay in Brooklyn's body, the more he becomes like me."  
  
"You are not a true gargoyle. You never were, and never will be," Angela  
yelled.  
  
Brooklyn growled and advanced at Angela. She dove out of the way and hit  
him on the back. Brooklyn/Iago growled again and dove into the shadows.   
  
"Where did he go?" Angela yelled to Elisa, who shook her head. Angela  
began to run into the shadows.  
  
Elisa's eyes widened when she saw Brooklyn/Iago come out behind Angela.  
~She doesn't see him!~ she thought, and ran at Brooklyn/Iago.  
  
She ran into him with the full force of her body. He staggered, and Angela  
swirled around to face them. Brooklyn/Iago grabbed Elisa around the neck.  
  
"Not one more step, Angela, or your human friend dies," he said viciously.  
Angela stopped moving.  
  
Brooklyn slowly moved up to a higher level of the Cloisters. Elisa began  
struggling and finally managed to kick him in the leg. He roared and let  
her go. She immediatley started running, but Brooklyn/Iago grabbed her  
ankle. He stood up and roared at her.   
  
He grabbed her around the neck and then let her hang over the side of the  
building. Angela started running forward, with Brooklyn/Iago still  
occupied.  
  
  
He dropped Elisa.   
  
Angela ran, but Brooklyn/Iago stepped in front of her and growled. Angela  
tried to push past him, but it didn't work.  
  
"ELISA!"  
  
***  
  
Elisa remembered Goliath's promise.  
  
*I'll always be there to catch you.*  
  
She didn't blame this on Goliath. It was her choice to go with Angela.   
  
The fall seemed to last forever. The wind rushed past her and she waited  
for the final blow.   
  
Suddenly, there was a jerk at her shoulders and she was slowly lifted up.  
She tried to see who it was, but she couldn't. They finalluy landed on the  
Cloisters ground. She looked back to see which gargoyle it was. When she  
turned, she couldn't believe her eyes.   
  
It was Demona.  
  
***  
  
Iago gaped at the sight. He began to get angry, and Brooklyn's eyes began  
to glow brightly.  
  
"Oh, so _now_ you start protecting humans?" he yelled. He hit Angela with  
the back of his hand and rushed Demona.   
  
*I guess you aren't on her good side anymore, are you?* Brooklyn's soul  
said.   
  
***  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
Angela heard Brooklyn/Iago yell at nobody.   
  
"I never was!"  
  
~Who is he talking to?~ she wondered. She then noticed that Demona's eyes  
seemed to had glazed over. She looked like she had fallen asleep standing  
up.  
  
***  
  
*I never was on her good side!*  
  
Brooklyn's voice crackled throughout Iago's head. *This is my body!*  
  
*Not anymore!*  
  
*It is, Iago, and you know it.* Iago looked up and around at the sound of  
the new voice.   
  
*Demona? How are you...*  
  
*I managed to hide one thing from you, Iago,* Brooklyn said.   
  
*Early Hatchers can communicate like this,* Demona continued.  
  
*So, what good is that going to do?* Iago yelled, mentally and vocally.   
  
*Make you leave.*   
  
Iago didn't know which one said it, but he suddenly felt a tugging, and a  
pushing.   
  
*No! I can't leave! There is too much to be done!*  
  
*You had your chance when you were alive, brother,* Demona said.   
  
*I can't leave!*  
  
"You're losing control. I want my body back, and I am going to get it,*  
Brooklyn said.  
  
*But I didn't volunteer! I'm not willing!*  
  
*You don't need to be,* said Brooklyn. *I am.*  
  
*NOOOOOOO!*  
  
***  
  
"NOOOOOOO!"   
  
Elisa, despite herself, ran up to Brooklyn/Iago. She put a hand on his  
shoulder. Angela pulled her back.   
  
"We don't know what's going on!" Angela insisted. Brooklyn's eyes lit up  
and a pure blue light shot out of his mouth. The light seemed to have a  
life of it's own. Brooklyn's body collaspsed to the ground, as did  
Demona's. The light began to speak, of some sort.  
  
"No. My life..." The blue light faded and finally dissappeared.  
  
Demona managed to get up and stagger over to Brooklyn. She knelt beside  
him and flipped him on his back.  
  
"Brooklyn?" she asked, concerned. Brooklyn opened his eyes halfway and  
moaned. He took a moment to focus, then coughed.  
  
"Demona...I..." Brooklyn stuttered. Demona shushed him.   
  
"Don't talk. Save your strength," she insisted. Elisa and Angela ran up  
next to her.  
  
"What happened? Is he back to normal?" Elisa asked, looking at Brooklyn,  
who smiled weakly. Elisa smiled back and took off her jaket and out it  
under Brooklyn's head.  
  
"It's me. We got him," he said. He looked back at Demona and cringed in  
pain. "Demona...I need to say this." Demona looked at him.  
  
"What, Brooklyn?"  
  
"Thanks...and...I'm sorry," he said.   
  
Demona's eyes filled. "I'm sorry, too, Brooklyn. I shouldn't have used  
you."  
  
Angela looked at Elisa and mouthed at her, "What?!"   
  
Elisa waved her off and gave her a look that said "I tell you later."  
  
Elisa looked up and saw Goliath and Hudson circling, getting ready to  
land. They landed and rushed up to them.  
  
"Iago!" Goliath yelled. Angel rushed up to stop him.  
  
"Father, no! It's Brooklyn. It's really him!" she said, smiling. "He's  
back."  
  
"But how?" Goliath said, looking down at the weakened Brooklyn. "How did  
you achieve this?"  
  
Brooklyn and Demona looked at each other with pleading eyes.  
  
***  
  
Brooklyn heard Goliath ask the one question he hoped he wouldn't ask.   
  
"How did you achieve this?"  
  
Brooklyn's eyes went to Demona, who's eyes went to him.   
  
*We can't tell him. The covenant...* Demona said.  
  
*I know, but what are we going to say?*  
  
*We have to make up something.*  
  
*And hope Puck doesn't say anything. We've kept it a secret this long,  
even as enemies...* Broooklyn trailed off.  
  
*Just say it was sorcery.*   
  
Brooklyn silently agreed.  
  
***  
  
Goliath looked at Brooklyn and Demona. They almost seemed to be  
communicating silently.  
  
"How did you get Iago out of your body, Brooklyn?" he repeated.  
  
Brooklyn's eyes went to Goliath. "Demona did it. It was a spell. Iago's  
gone for good."  
  
"Demona? But she helped you...him escape!"  
  
"I knew it was Iago," Demona said, standing up. The spell had to be cast  
out of doors. And I knew you wouldn't just let me walk in and take him."  
She turned around and began climbing up the nearest wall. Elisa ran up to  
the wall and looked up.  
  
"Demona!" Demona looked back and glared at Elisa.   
  
"What?" Her eyes flared up.  
  
"Brooklyn got to thank you, but I didn't." The red light in Demona's eyes  
died down, but she still looked angry.  
  
"Don't think this changes anything, _human._" She snarled, but then smiled.  
"But you are welcome." With that, she turned around and glided off,  
leaving a smiling Elisa and a stunned Goliath.   
  
"What did she do?" He asked Elisa.   
  
Elisa turned to Goliath, still smling. "Brook...Iago tossed me off the  
side of the building and she caught me." Goliath looked even more stunned,  
and now Hudson did too. Elisa smiled. "That's what I thought."  
  
They went back over to Brooklyn, who was trying to get up.   
  
"You seem better," Elisa commented, helping him up.   
  
Brooklyn staggered to his feet and took a few uncertain steps. "I was  
trapped in my body so long it took me a while to get used to gravity  
again," he said, regaining his balance. He turned back to Goliath.  
  
"Can we go home now?" Goliath smiled and nodded. Goliath picked up Elisa  
as they scaled the wall.   
  
***  
  
Before they left, Brooklyn looked back in the direction where Demona had  
glided. Concentrating, he thought out to her, *Thank you.*  
  
There was a snap in his mind, soundless, weightless, and as powerful as a  
thunderbolt. *Your welcome.*  
  
*Maybe someday you could rejoin the clan...*  
  
*Someday.* With that, she exited Brooklyn's mind.   
  
"Brooklyn?" Brooklyn looked at Goliath.  
  
"Sorry. I'm just really happy to be here..." Goliath cut him off.  
  
"There is no need to explain. We're leaving now," he said. Brooklyn was  
the last to take off.  
  
~It's exactly the same as it was before,~ he thought. ~Ignoring me,  
ordering me around...~  
  
Hudson glided back beside. He put a hand on Brooklyn's shoulder. "Welcome  
back, lad." Brooklyn looked at Hudson's face.   
  
"I...thanks. I'm glad to be back," he said. "But I don't think I'm ever  
going to be the same." Hudson looked at Brooklyn curiously.  
  
"What do ye mean, lad?"  
  
"Hudson...how can live with what I...what Iago did with my body?" Brooklyn  
said. "How can I go on living my life like I did before?"  
  
"Ye won't go living on like ye did before. Ye will adjust to the new life  
that he gave ya, and always live with a good heart."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Hush, lad."  
  
Brooklyn looked at the moon, which they seemed to be heading straight  
into. ~I'm not going to turn out like him, I won't!~ He told himself.  
  
~I swear I won't turn out like him.~  
  
  
THE END  
  
  
  
*************************  
Coming Soon!  
  
Echoes of the Future  
  
A vistor from the future shows up, claiming to be a decendent of the clan.  
She needs to stop something from happening, but if she does, she could  
wipe her entire exsistence away. Introducing Krystiana. 


End file.
